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[[quoteright:313:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deadrising_7643.jpg]][[caption-width-right:313:[[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer When all you have is]] [[ShovelStrike a shovel]]...]]

Frank West, a freelance photojournalist [[MemeticMutation (He's covered wars, you know!)]], follows a tip of unknown origin into the small town of Willamette, CO. A military lockdown of the town is hiding a ZombieApocalypse from the media, and Frank is hellbent on getting the story. Via helicopter, he bypasses the barricades and enters the Willamette Mall in hopes of finding the secret behind the happenings...

So begins ''Dead Rising'', Capcom's hit free-roamer for the 360. Armed with just about anything you can find (and in a shopping mall, that's plenty), your goal is to survive for three days while getting the story. Arguably the game's defining feature is the sheer number of zombies that can be on screen at once, greatly adding to the effect of a mall literally overrun with the living dead. While the game is short (Six hours, real time, not counting cutscenes or pauses), it's a haven for fans of OneHundredPercentCompletion challenges (unless you want to get 100% in one playthrough), as different achievements require wildly out-of-the-way trips and are of varying difficulty. In addition, the game had a unique CombatPragmatist-style combat system wherein Frank can pick up hundreds of objects around the mall to use as makeshift weapons. Your arsenal ranges from more traditonal weapons like baseball bats, guns and swords to stranger things like TV's, cash registers, potted plants, and soccer balls.

The game is somewhat difficult and has a [[LuckBasedMission rather strange]] way of rewarding the player with experience: PP (or [[FunWithAcronyms Prestige Points]]) is given to the player upon completing major milestones, like killing a milestone of zombies, saving survivors, completing cases and defeating dangerous human bosses called Psychopaths. The player can also earn PP by killing zombies in creative ways, like heating up a frying pan and smacking a zombies face with it. This levels up Frank, who gains more health, item slots, new moves and more. Also unique is the games take on NewGamePlus. Frank starts out pathetically weak and slow at the beginning of the game, and the player must fight hard to even survive. Upon dying, the player is given the option to reload the last save, or end the playthrough at that death and transfer Frank's level over to the next playthrough. Reaching the level cap simply can't be done in one playthrough, so the player is encouraged to beat the game multiple times in an attempt to see everything, facilitated by the games MultipleEndings that each require harder and harder qualifications in order to get, and the games rather short run time.

While the game is a major success in the Western world, it sold poorly in Japan, largely due to its rating meaning no mass retail availability (''Chop Till You Drop'' sold half as well, which was actually better than some thought) as well as the 360s lesser overall sales in Japan. Despite that, Capcom created a [[VideoGame/DeadRising2 sequel]] set in [[strike:Las Vegas]] Fortune City, starring new character Chuck Greene, and releasing across the 360, [=PS3=], and PC.

See also ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'', a PragmaticAdaptation for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. And speaking of ''Dead Rising'' and the Wii, Frank made his fighting game debut in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All Stars]]''. And speaking of fighting games, Frank makes an appearance in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'''s UpdatedRerelease, ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. [[RunningGag And speaking of]] crossover games, he makes another appearance in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', a cross between Capcom, Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment, and Creator/{{Sega}}. Clearly, Frank West gets around.

Shout Outs can be found [[ShoutOut/DeadRising here]].

See ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' for the [[MacGyvering chainsawed-and-duct-taped]] sequel, ''VideoGame/DeadRising3'' for the DarkerAndEdgier third game, and ''VideoGame/DeadRising4'' for the [[AnAsskickingChristmas holly jolly]] fourth entry.

On March 27th, 2015, a feature film called ''Film/DeadRisingWatchtower'' premiered online, with RobRiggle as Frank West. It's seemingly set in the period between the first and second games, during Frank's short-lived brush with fame.

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Additionally, the original game recieved an [[UpdatedReRelease HD re-release]], released on September 13th, 2016 on PC, Xbox One, and Playstation 4, which marks the first time the title has been released on a platform other than the Xbox 360.

----!!''Dead Rising'' Provides Examples Of:

* ActionCommands* ActionSurvivor: A few, though Frank is the purest example.* AdultFear: In the ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' series, survivors will not hesitate to mention when loved ones have been brutally, savagely killed. In the first game alone, one of the ''very first'' encounters is a distraught mother who is distraught to the point of near-suicide, because she had to listen as her young daughter was eaten alive. One of the Psychopaths is a war veteran who is suffering a war flashback from the trauma of seeing his ''entire family'' getting eaten by zombies.* AffablyEvil: In Larry the butcher's introductory scene, he's always smiling and/or giggling creepily and treats Frank as a "customer" (though [[spoiler:having captured Carlito, he intends to [[ImAHumanitarian serve said customer Mexican]]]]), one of the only Psychopaths who ''isn't'' fixed on ripping Frank to shreds and/or filling him with lead. In fact, when his actual boss fight starts, he'll ignore Frank, humming and sharpening his knives unless you attack first.* AlasPoorVillain: ** In Cliff's death scene, he comes back to his senses and explains himself. It's... depressing. Still, remember why the Psychopaths are the way they are in the first place and he's not the only one who can take on a [[TheWoobie Woobie]] factor.** Thomas Hall too. He doesn't actually get a cutscene as he's part of a family of three, but if you take out his brother and his father the rest of the fight is a CurbStompBattle he has no chance of winning -- and he was the OnlySaneMan trying to stop his family from shooting you. Many internet comments wish there was a way to save him.** Cletus gets this, too, too. While he can come across as a bit of a hypocrite, in the end, he was just desperate to survive, and was quite pathetic during his death scene. [[spoiler:It's worth noting that in the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version, he is actually savable.]]* AmericaSavesTheDay: [[spoiler:Inverted. Later in the game, the military shows up on a mission to capture or kill any survivors in an attempt to cover up what happened there so it wouldn't get linked back to what started all this: the Santa Cabeza incident.]] * AndYourRewardIsClothes: Certain achievements will add new outfits to the Security Room on subsequent playthroughs.* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Played with. While there are a lot of concessions given to the player to make the game easier (such as the camera shop being right next to the security room, or the katana being found in Paradise Plaza, also not far from the security room), there are almost an equal amount if not ''more'' things explicitly designed to frustrate the player.** One example of the above is the fact that the Convicts, the trio widely agreed to be exceedingly difficult to defeat, respawn ''every single day'', meaning the time and effort you took to take them down is rendered moot no less than 24 hours later. No wonder Adam rewards the player with an easy way around them.* ArtifactMook: The game famously gives you the Zombie Genocider achievement for killing a number of zombies equal to the entire population of Willamette. Even accounting for out-of-town visitors and the infection spreading, it seems rather unlikely that that many zombies would wind up in the mall. And they still keep coming.* ArtificialStupidity: The survivors you have to escort are dumber than a sack of doorknobs, to the point where injured survivors are the ''easiest'', because you just have to carry them to the safe room.* AttackDrone: Looking like an RC helicopter with a machine gun slung underneath, they help the Special Forces patrol the mall in Overtime mode.* AxCrazy: The Psychopaths (the local bosses -- surviving humans, most of which went completely insane when the zombies were let into the mall), practically as a rule.* BadassBystander: In contrast to most of the survivors, who have to be rescued and armed by the player, Kindall the restaurant manager shows up armed with a shotgun and helps escort ''you'' during a story-based mission where you're unable to fight due to having to carry an injured plot-critical character. It's a shame the game's limited A.I. somewhat reduces his effectiveness, and that he also attempts a mutiny later on if he survives (although his mutiny is much easier to calm down than Ronald's).* BadassGrandpa: Cliff doesn't ''seem'' that old, but it turns out he's a literal example.* BewareTheLiving: In general, the humans you encounter aren't much friendlier than the zombies, and they're ''far'' more resilient. This aspect of the story is lampshaded several times, most notably by the gun store owner, Cletus.-->'''Cletus''': I trust those zombies about as far as I can throw 'em, but I trust people even less!* {{BFG}}: The M2 machine gun is mounted on a jeep, but Frank can just carry it around after he defeats the Convicts.* BigBad: [[spoiler:Carlito]], strictly speaking, though he ends up seeming like more of a BigBadWannabe. From another point of view, [[spoiler:Brock]] is.* BittersweetEnding: Ending S, though it’s more bitter than it is sweet, Frank and Isabela manage to escape Willamette with enough evidence to expose the government's crimes that instigated the disaster to the whole world, getting them with the public, but the government only admits partial responsibility for their livestock research that destroyed Isabela and Carlito's hometown, and refuse to admit guilt over causing the zombie disaster. The story, as a whole, is eventually disregarded and forgotten about, even Carlito's plan of using orphans to instigate the apocalypse to the entire United States, setting the events for ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' 5 years later.* BilingualBonus: Carlito and Isabela occasionally speak in Spanish. Also, Larry the butcher has the kanji for 'Meat' (as seen in ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'') tattooed on the back of his neck.* BlackAndGrayMorality: Only between the Military and Carlito's plans. Frank, while rough around the edges, is pretty solidly White who's thrown into all this mess. [[{{Jerkass}} Most of]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the time.]]* BloodyHilarious: ** The Excavator is a laugh riot. Using it impales a zombie on the tool's spinning auger, upon which you lift the spinning, flailing undead into the air and pummel ''other'' zombies with it. Limbs and bits of flesh fly off in every direction with each hit you land. Fun for the whole family!** Spearing zombies with the Lead Pipe or the Shower Nozzle also qualify for this trope: the pipe slowly siphons the blood out of their chest cavity until they collapse, and the shower nozzle is plunged into the top of their skulls, providing them with their own private red shower until they too cave in on themselves from blood-loss.** Running down zombies with an industrial strength lawnmower, literally cutting a bloody swathe through the horde. Trying to frantically kill zombies in a toy store, plastic swords and tennis balls bounce harmlessly off the dead, biking/skateboarding directly into a mass until you inevitably get tossed, and at one point you get a ping pong ball-shooting Mega Man gun.* BlownAcrossTheRoom: Cletus' shotgun has one hell of a kick, which is why his boss fight is so damned frustrating. To wit, the animation where Frank gets knocked backwards and staggers to his feet is only minimally shorter than the time it takes Cletus to rack his shotgun.* BoomHeadshot: A gun will kill any zombie instantly if you shoot them in the head (unless they're wearing a hard hat, in which case it won't work). One survivor [[spoiler:(Ross)]] will take his own life if you fulfill his request and give him a gun, another asks you to bring her a gun just in case she starts to turn, and some of them will put a bullet through their brain if you equip them with a gun and they run out of health from the zombies.* BottomlessBladder: Amusingly subverted; while Frank isn't required to use the restroom, doing so is the primary method of saving the game. [[FridgeBrilliance This makes even more sense when you realize that ''liquids'' restore much more health than solid foods, so Frank is usually carrying (and drinking) lots of OJ]].* {{Bowdlerise}}: The Japanese version of the game is completely bloodless, due to rating restrictions that would get the game banned.* BraggingRightsReward: Several achievements, like Zombie Genocider, Saint, and Clothes Horse. 7 Day Survivor is probably the most well known, given it demands perfection, a solid plan, and a LOT of spare time at once, as you can't save and come back. It requires you to play "Infinity Mode", where there are even more zombies than in the story mode, as well as regular run-ins with psychopaths and hostile survivors. In this mode, Frank needs to use a food item at least once every 120 seconds or start losing health. * BreakableWeapons: All weapons break over time, though some last longer than others.* BullfightBoss: Steven the grocery store manager is easier to beat if he crashes his [[ShoppingCartAntics shopping cart]] or gets the blades attached to the front stuck while charging Frank.* TheButcher: Larry.* CabinFever: If you've gathered enough survivors, by the third day, some of them will have started arguing or occasionally knocking each other around. If you've gathered ''most'' of the survivors, by that time several of them will start actively pummeling the others (though, thankfully, they can't kill each other).* CameraSniper: Used in cut-scenes as well as incorporated into gameplay.* CarFu: The most-effective (and possibly only) way to get the "Genocider" achievement in the required 72 hours is to drive laps through the crowded underground parking garage running down zombies and changing cars as necessary.* ChainedToARock: A mall fountain, actually.* ChainsawGood: Both subverted and played straight. Subverted with the chainsaw you find (Slow, prone to needing startup time, and only usable by spinning or inaccurate flailing), played straight with the mini-chainsaw you can obtain from an early boss (One-handed, can be shoved into inventory, terribly damaging, and very fast).* CharacterLevel: This game implements a level-up system: you kill zombies and take pictures to gain experience, and each level gained results in either a stat boost (Speed, Power, Inventory, etc.) or a new move (Double Lariat, Disembowel).* ChewingTheScenery: The grocery store manager boss, Steven. "This is my '''stooore!'''".* ChurchMilitant: Raincoat Cult leader Sean Keanan [[Film/{{Braindead}} kicks ass for the mannequin-god Lord]]!* ColdSniper: Roger seems to be a pretty textbook example.* CombatPragmatist: Nearly everything you see in the mall can be picked up and used to clobber zombies. This includes benches, rocks, and trash cans.* ContinuingIsPainful: Somewhat subverted. There's not a penalty for dying per se, but you won't get far towards the best ending unless you start a new game with some pre-gained EXP at the beginning.* CrazySurvivalist: Some of the Psychopaths' flavor of crazy in the midst of ZombieApocalypse.* CutsceneIncompetence: Happens to Frank every so often. A good example is the cutscene before the alternate Kent fight, in which the by now really powerful Frank that can take dozens of bullets before going down in gameplay is chained up, stripped to his underwear, and has his entire inventory taken away by Kent, and all because Kent threatened him with a handgun.* CycleOfHurting: A big contributor to the game’s difficulty. Just about any attack will make Frank stumble in place if he gets hit. This includes swipes from zombies, attacks from psychopaths and survivors and even being shot from across the map with a gun. The biggest contributors are Cletus, Carlito and Kent. Cletus’s shotgun is racked so fast that Frank will get shot again by the time he’s back up; Carlito’s sniper rifle sends you flying backwards and Frank again gets up just in time to catch another shot from it (and it takes off TWO blocks of health per shot), and for some reason, Kent’s punches stun Frank for about 2 whole seconds, meaning he can just back you into a wall and slowly punch you to death.** This is also why escorting survivors is so hellishly frustrating. All it takes is for one zombie to hit your survivor and make them fall behind. Then another one hits them. And another. And another one after that. At this point, you have such a huge crowd of zombies constantly swiping at your survivors that the zombies swipe faster than it takes for the stagger animation to finish and will continue until they die or you intervene. Cue controllers being thrown.* DeadlyLunge: Most zombies are rather slow, but they speed up once they get close. There's also the occasional zombie who can quickly close distance.* DefeatMeansFriendship: ** You have to attack Burt before he teams up with you. ** [[spoiler:When Paul catches on fire, you can put him out and he will join you.]]** It also takes defeat for [[spoiler:Isabela]] to start to cooperate with Frank.* DepravedBisexual: ** The alternate version of Kent's boss fight has left some either guessing or assuming.** Jo Slade is also strongly implied to be one of these, and in ''unpleasant'' ways.* DevelopersForesight:** In the final section of Overtime mode, the player has to carry Isabella through an underground tunnel full of zombies. Once you pass through, you enter a separate area where you can leave Isabella waiting. Even though there is no reason for the player to go back to the tunnels alone, Frank has a different set of sounds for his HollerButton in which he yells out loud "Heyy!!" instead of his regular "Hello?" and "Anyone there?", just for that specific circumstance.** A minor one, but if you get ending B, Ed and Frank’s dialogue will be different depending on how many survivors you rescued. For example, if you only rescued a couple of survivors:-->'''Ed''': ''Who’s this you got here with you?''-->'''Frank''': ''A survivor, plucked straight from the depths of Hell.''** And if you managed to rescue most of the survivors:-->'''Ed''': ''Holy shit! You didn’t say there’d be this many people!''-->'''Frank''': ''Aw, come on! We can’t just leave ‘em here!''-->'''Ed''': ''Well, you’re paying for the extra fuel, I tell you that!''** Thought you would get crafty and try to hole up in the supermarket to make Infinity Mode a breeze? Think again, as there are shutters in front of the doors and the Maintenance Tunnel door by the pharmacy is also locked to force you to survive through your wits. * DevouredByTheHorde: ** If the survivors you're trying to rescue takes enough damage from zombies, [[PlotlineDeath a cutscene will appear where the zombies are eating the survivors]]. Some of the cutscenes includes the zombies devouring and pulling out the survivor's guts, the zombies dog piling on the survivor and devouring them, and four zombies pulling on the survivor's limbs. ** After an intense fight between Frank West and [[spoiler: Brock Mason]] on top of a tank that's surrounded by a huge amount of zombies, Frank kicks him off the tank into the zombies and they all devour him. * DifficultButAwesome: The regular chainsaw is like this, especially in Infinity Mode before you get the [[GameBreaker Small Chainsaw]]. The standard swing is awkward as hell and leaves you vulnerable to attack after each swing, and you drop the weapon if you take a single hit from anything (forcing you to pick it up and rev it up again). However, the running attack absolutely scythes through zombies and bosses as long as you make absolutely sure never to stop moving, and if you constantly swing while running, it becomes nearly as lethal as the small chainsaw.* DifficultySpike: Once the cultists show up on the second day, the game gets even harder, as you have to contend with their path-blocking clusters in every section of the mall as well as the zombies. Each one takes a fair amount of hits to kill, they always appear in big numbers and can blow knockout dust in Frank's face to instantly take him down. If that happens, you have to waste even more time fighting your way out of their hideout with no clothes or weapons, which will often make you miss a scoop or two.** Another spike occurs after you complete "The Facts". At this point, the Special Forces soldiers will enter the mall, and boy are they MadeOfIron. They're immune to headshots, take at least two hits from the [[GameBreaker Small Chainsaw]] and can shred through your health in no time. They can also incapacitate Frank as well should he take enough damage from them. It's no wonder you get an achievement just for managing to take out a measly ''ten'' of them in a playthrough because they really are that dangerous.* DiscOneNuke: ** The Small Chainsaw can be collected from the clown boss, and will carve up all of the subsequent bosses with ease. If you get books to extend its life, the first one you grab will last you until the end of the game. Not only that, but if you grab it before you stop the roller coaster, ''you can get a second when the cutscene ends.'' Also, if you leave that section of the mall and come back, it will respawn at the control station.** The Mannequin Torso weapon is one of the best in game, easily dishing out more damage than most other everyday items. It has a fast swing speed and deals huge damage even when Frank's attack stat is low. It is also incredibly common, with North Plaza in particular having mannequins strewn all over the show. ** The machine gun on the back of the Convicts' truck. Kill the gunner, snatch the gun, then waste the other two. Hold onto it afterwards and kill more bosses with it.* DoomedHometown: Santa Cabeza, for Carlito and Isabela.* DownerBeginning: A mother and a daughter are shown to be devoured by the undead inside a broken car at night in the prelude.* DownerEnding: Endings B through F are all downers. [[spoiler:Ending A, however, is hardly any better, as the helicopter you have planned to get on crashes because of a zombie aboard. Although this one is narrowly averted later by the Overtime Mode, we arrive at the true ending -- Ending S.* DoNotRunWithAGun: Made worse by the fact that aiming causes the camera to reset over Frank's right shoulder, meaning that in the time you come out of cover, stop, ''slooowly'' bring the reticule around to point at the boss, and fire, that boss has already done all four, and [[BlownAcrossTheRoom knocked you right off your feet with a single shot]].* DrivenToMadness: ** An accidental case. Kent probably wasn't all that stable to begin with, viewing a zombie apocalypse as an opportunity to score some great photos, but when Frank one-ups him, he does ''not'' take it well.** [[spoiler:Carlito is one definite case. The loss of his hometown to the sinister livestock research program leads him into a RoaringRampageOfRevenge all over the USA.]]* DrivenToSuicide: One survivor asks for a gun, which, if you deliver, he uses on himself. This is also a random death cutscene that can play for ''any'' survivor armed with a gun. [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration They won't come back as a zombie if they do this]].* DropTheHammer: The sledgehammer is one of the most useful weapons.* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Carlito meets his end not at the hands of Frank or the military, but a random Psychopath who put him on a meat hook.]]* DroughtLevelOfDoom: Infinity Mode serves as a version of this. There's plenty of food at the beginning, but it doesn't respawn, so you must balance your inventory carefully, and fight dangerous psychopaths and survivors to get more. Then, on day 7, all psychopaths and survivors disappear and you are left with the quickly dwindling food supplies.* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Naturally, being followed by three sequels gives plenty of weirdness to the first game. Several staple mechanics such as combo weapons and vehicles are absent from this game; you simply pick up whatever you can find and go to town on the zombies. The only real "combos" the game has are the blenders where you mix food items to create special drinks. The plot is also more convoluted and mysterious than the future games, although justified since this is the first outbreak to occur in America. The various skill moves are also more clunky and difficult to pull off consistently due to their wonky inputs; an issue that would be resolved in the later games. The survivor AI is also at its most abysmal here while the survivors in the sequels are ''much'' more intelligent. The time limit here is also ridiculously strict and wouldn't become more lenient until the later games. * EasyLevelsHardBosses: The zombies are easy to cut through, but the psychopaths will give you all sorts of trouble, even at max level.* EmpathyDollShot: When Frank meets Adam. He glances into a passing Space Coaster car and sees two bloody dolls propped up in the seat.* EnemyPosturing: Subverted with [[spoiler: Brock Mason]], the final boss. He starts the fight by laughing at you, but you're not actually supposed to attack him when he does; if you try, he'll preempt your attack with a shoulder block. Instead, you have to wait for him to come at you, sidestep him, and ''then'' attack him.* EscortMission: A great deal of the game; some are entirely optional while others are needed for story purposes. The death of the character you were escorting results in no punishment, but a successful rescue gives a hefty reward.* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry: Can be used as a weapon, but not effectively at first.* EvilLaugh: [[spoiler:Brock]].* EvolvingAttack: As Frank levels up, his attacks become more powerful. He also becomes a ninja.* EyeScream: Sean Keanan's death.* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Every one of the survivors in the intro will die; even when you beef up in a NewGamePlus, they don't have the AI to follow you to the stairs. Even when you have the ability to pick them up, you won't be holding the survivor once the cutscene ends.* TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether: The Halls, a trio of zealous survivalist snipers -- a father and his two sons.* FanDisservice: ** Zombies in cropped tops and short skirts. Taking photos of them nevertheless scores major bonuses for "erotica", as Frank leers "''goooooood''".** Frank does the grind when trying on women's clothing. Grab the BrainBleach, you'll need it to remove the {{Squick}} and horror.** Taking a PantyShot of an elderly female survivor will score Horror points instead of Erotica points.** If a male survivor dies due to a zombie, a female zombie may be shown [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything going down on him in the 69 position and biting into his groin]].* FanService: Jessie and Isabela are [[IncrediblyLamePun drop dead sexy.]]** Cheryl counts too if you rescue her, wearing a small black dress and even posing for the camera in a special side mission.* FatBastard: Jo and Larry are among the nastier bosses (in Jo's case, that includes personality). Ronald is probably more of a FatSlob, but he's one of the more JerkAss survivors.* FirstPersonSnapshooter: One of the most [[JustifiedTrope justified]] examples, given that Frank is a freelance photographer. He's covered wars, y'know.* FisticuffsBoss: Naturally, waiting at the very end of Overtime mode.* {{Foreshadowing}}: The loading screen that appears after the cutscene [[spoiler:where Frank meets Kent for the first time is the same bloody one used for psychopaths, ''before'' Kent snaps and becomes one of the game's psychopaths]].* FriendlyFireproof: Completely absent. Other survivors are quite capable of shooting or smacking you to the ground, and vice versa.* GameplayAndStoryIntegration** If a survivor holding a gun takes too much damage from the zombies, they will put a bullet in their head. They won't come back as a zombie in this case because they were shot rather than DevouredByTheHorde.** The special forces only come to clean up the mall if you complete "The Facts". [[spoiler:Jessie's calling for help after you finish "The Facts" will cause DHS to send in the military to silence the truth of Santa Cabeza.]]* GameplayAndStorySegregation: At the end of the game if you get ending A, a zombie sneaks up on Frank and infects him with the zombie virus. In gameplay, Frank can get munched on by zombies for three days straight and not have to worry about zombification. In the same vein, if you never get hit by a zombie throughout the whole game (pretty much impossible), Frank will still end up infected by Overtime.** Even if you exterminate the entire population of Willamette, reaching 53,594 kills, (which nets you an achievement and the Real Mega Buster), zombies will continue to appear in the mall.** When the Special Forces arrive at the mall towards the end, they swiftly begin killing all of the zombies with impunity. By the time Overtime begins, the Special Forces withdraw and every single zombie in the mall is dead...until Frank has to gather some queens for Isabela's serum at which point, the mall is completely full of zombies again.** Story wise, the zombies only break into the Entrance Plaza in the intro, yet when Frank goes through the air ducts to get to Paradise Plaza immediately after the intro, the zombies are somehow all over the mall despite having only entered it minutes ago. Even more jarring is that there are shutters in the Entrance Plaza that prevent access to the other areas, so it's unlikely that the zombies could have overrun each area so quickly, especially since in gameplay, zombies can barely move past a slow shuffling pace.* GasMaskMooks: [[spoiler:The Special Forces soldiers]].* GeneralRipper: Brock.* GetBackHereBoss: Paul isn't the hardest Psychopath to defeat and he will often damage himself from most of his attacks, but the real challenge is getting close enough to actually hit him since he ''never stops running''. You can't make a straight beeline for him either, or else you'll be blown apart by the copious amounts of pipe bombs he drops behind him.** The Hall family also counts. They easily fall apart from a few good swings from a decent weapon, but they will sprint full steam away from Frank when he gets within a certain proximity to them.* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Done intentionally with most of the bosses, many of which are not connected to the BigBad or the plot in any way -- but just regular people who suffered a FreakOut as a result of the outbreak and have become a danger to other people. Larry is a particularly good example, as unlike many of the other bosses, he has very little background to be inferred and very little of his personality is revealed -- but he still shows up out of nowhere and causes major problems to the main plot. In any case, many of them are even in missions that seem like any other, where you might not even know a boss is coming until the cutscene starts.* GoGoEnslavement: See "Shirtless Scene" below.%%* GoshHornet* TheGovernment: Who enforces lockdown. There are Black Ops soldiers (who look like [[Franchise/ResidentEvil HUNK]] and have M-16s) on the loose. Oh, and they were involved with the MadScientist who found out what causes the zombies -- a species of hornet.* GlassCannon: When [[spoiler:Kent]] goes Psychopath, he's easily defeated with a few good hits from a rock... but let him catch up to you and he'll kick the living hell out of you before you can land even one of those hits.* GlowingEyesOfDoom: At night, the Zombies' eyes start to glow and they become significantly more difficult to defeat.* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Arthur's Boxers from ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'' are unlocked for lasting seven days in Infinity Mode. (Frank's default boxers are not particularly goofy.)* GroinAttack: ** Female zombies will often attack Frank's crotch. This is just as awful as it sounds.** One possible cutscene that plays if a male survivor is killed by a zombie is of a female zombie [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CtUdZfaXEAAvQ0G.jpg biting into the poor guy's Johnson in what appears to be the "69 position"]]. [[FanDisservice Yikes!]]** Paul accidentally sets his crotch on fire when you defeat him, [[spoiler:giving you the opportunity to save him with a nearby fire extinguisher. One mistake many players make is to use the aim button to spray the extinguisher, which causes Frank to throw it with all his strength... into the guy's groin]].** Even Isabela also does this to Frank after being defeated in her boss fight and [[spoiler:before going to his side]].** If Jo knocks Frank down, she may stomp on his balls. Repeatedly, and hard enough to draw blood.* GuideDangIt: Some survivors have no in-game indication of their location or even their existence.** Kent's photo challenge also counts as one. He simply tells you to "go out there and take even better pictures than the ones I just showed you." This gives the impression that the player simply needs to show him ANY photo that has a significant amount of PP in it. However, when you meet Kent the next day, he specifically asks for an EROTICA photo (which must have 700 PP to pass the mission). Getting an EROTICA shot worth that much at the point this mission comes about is another GuideDangIt moment, as you're supposed to snap a shot of Jessie sitting next to Brad while you get medicine for him, but due to the strict time limit, players may not think about it until it's too late.** You can forget about finding all 100 of the PP Stickers in the mall without consulting a guide; little white stickers that are plastered on very specific objects in very specific places, including the long-winded Maintenance Tunnels. You'll give yourself an aneurysm trying to find them on your own.* GunsAreWorthless: While handy for their range, firearms are largely inferior to melee weapons. Far more effective against the living dead than they are against crazy humans.%%* HeroicBSOD* HeelFaceTurn: ** One of the boss fights gives you the option to save the boss you just defeated or let him roast. If you do choose to save him, he regains his sanity and joins you, even giving you Molotov cocktails as a bonus weapon later on.** In Chop Till You Drop, [[spoiler:Cletus can be persuaded into becoming an ally]].* HideYourChildren: ** InfantImmortality is averted by referencing and heavily implying the disturbing deaths of children (the opening cutscene, Cliff, Leah, Adam...). As for onscreen, Paul is 19? Not too hard to see. Jack is 23? A little more of a stretch. "B-But Daddy" Thomas is 20? Hm.** [[spoiler:Carlito's ultimate plan, involving a bunch of infected children being sent across America as ticking time bombs.]]* HighPressureBlood: The Shower Nozzle invokes this by defying the laws of physics. Then again, what doesn't in this game?* HollerButton: Used to call and lead survivors. Oddly, can be used in InfinityMode, where the survivors are [[EverythingTryingToKillYou trying to kill you.]]* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[PyroManiac Paul]] ends up setting himself on fire in the cutscene after his boss fight, [[spoiler:though he can be saved]], not to mention what happens to Adam and Sean...* {{Homage}}: Hmm... [[Film/DawnOfTheDead1978 zombies... in a mall full of goodies... and the only way to escape was by helicopter...]] Sounds familiar. Actually, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial an early warning]] was to inform people that the game '''wasn't''' based on Romero's movie.* HotBlooded: Burt, one of the survivors, swears in every other sentence and attacks everything that moves. Even if he has to go out of his way to do it, making him a somewhat annoying escort.* HotScientist: [[spoiler:Isabela is a competent pharmacist. She creates the first drug that delays zombification as well as a zombie repellant that allows her and Frank to safely navigate the underground tunnel near the end of Overtime Mode]].* IdiotBall: In the beginning of the game, Frank may bump into an old woman called Lindsay Harris, frantically searching for her dog Madonna. A few minutes later, she spots Madonna trapped outside with the zombies. What does she do? Overpower the dozens of men attempting to stop her and [[OhCrap break the barricade]], setting the zombies inside and [[WhatAnIdiot single-handedly started the game]]. The kicker? The zombies didn't even show a single bit of interest in Madonna herself.* ImprobableAimingSkills: Averted. Frank, being a reporter, isn't familiar with firearms. The gun mechanics reflect this by having Frank feel very clunky while turning, and hitting faraway targets is naturally more difficult. He's competent enough with them without being useless.* ImprobableWeaponUser: One of your best ways of clearing a path for yourself involves a parasol or mall umbrella.* ImprovisedWeapon: Just about anything you can find. ANYTHING. A small sample of the more unlikely weapons -- Paintings, LCD Televisions, Park Benches, Bowling Balls, Baking Flour, Ketchup, Fistfuls of Diamonds, Traffic Cones, 12-packs of Canned Soda, and Ice Augers.* InfantImmortality: Averted. The extra cutscene accessed by waiting on the opening screen ends with a mother and her young daughter trapped a car surrounded by zombies, and once inside the mall, Cliff went insane after watching zombies devour his granddaughter, it's implied Adam saw this happen to his entire audience, and one of the survivors will tell Frank that her baby was eaten.* InfinityPlusOneSword: ** [[Film/StarWars A laser sword! With extend-o-hilt!]] [[VideoGame/MegaMan The Real Mega Buster]] would also count, except that it's theoretically possible to get before completing any story missions, as long you don't mind spending an entire playthrough driving backwards and forwards through a tunnel first.** The small chainsaws. This overlaps with DiscOneNuke, but let's face it; the small chainsaw is much, ''much'' easier to get a hold of, you can carry more than one at a time, and if you triple-book it, it'll last a hell of a lot longer than the laser sword. King of weapons, hands down.* InsecurityCamera: Averted. The cameras all do their job well, both for advancing the overall plot and allowing Otis to spot any survivors (or psychopaths) hiding in the mall's many stores.%%* InstrumentOfMurder* IntrepidReporter: Frank West, of course.* ItemAmplifier: Weapon durability can be extended by obtaining a certain book or magazine.* TheJaywalkingDead: You can kill zombies by running them over with a car. They're so stupid that they make no real effort to get out of the way. In fact, in the first game in the series, vehicular manslaughter is an effective way to rack up the 56,000 kills needed to unlock the Real Mega Buster {{BFG}}.* {{Jerkass}}: Frank seems to qualify at a few points. In the cutscene where you first meet the raincoat cult, he seemed perfectly content to sit in the back and take pictures of a survivor being sacrificed up until their leader points him out and they attack.** Ronald Shiner, one of the survivors. He won't come with you unless you give him some food, and if you save him, he'll try to start a mutiny later on because he ate all the food in the security room and demands more!* JokeItem: Several of the [[ImprobableWeapon weirder items]] Frank can pick up, although the toy laser sword is at least useful as a flashlight at night.* KatanasAreJustBetter: Well, they ''are'' good, but no more than any other non-motorized bladed weapon.* KillEmAll: Willamette, Colorado has 53,594 citizens. If you kill that many zombies, you get the "Genocider" achievement and the Mega Buster.* TheKlutz: Paul. He even has a knack for getting caught in his own explosions in the middle of his fight.* {{Laserblade}}: The Beam Sword and Toy Laser Sword.* LaughingMad: ** Adam, which isn't a surprise, considering that he's a MonsterClown.** Paul also, whenever he ups his own confidence by getting firepower at the ready. It counts as a Photo Op if you snap a picture of him hyena-laughing in the middle of a fight.** The survivors may start laughing in place of their normal scared quotes if given powerful weapons like the small chainsaw.** Frank himself tends to let out a rueful little laugh whenever he's right up against his breaking point.* LethalJokeWeapon: A few of the improvised weapons you can use count, but special mention goes to the Mannequin Torso. Acquired only by destroying a Mannequin, it actually has one of the highest damage values in the game, swings in a large arc, and is a common sight within the mall (including the warehouse you go through when exiting the saferoom).* LetsSplitUpGang: One survivor will randomly decide that you are a terrible leader and demand to speak to you. If you don't return within a short time, he takes every survivor in the room with him and leaves, and the game registers them all as dead.* LightningBruiser: ** An infuriating number of the bosses -- Cliff for one, and Jo and Larry move ''much'' faster than their enormous sizes would lead you to believe.** Sean, the sword-wielding cult leader, has remarkable ninja-like speed and agility for a man who's nearly old enough to be the Pope. He can take a decent number of hits, too.* TheLoad:** Injured or infirm survivors are unable to use weapons or run normally, and have to either be carried by Frank or left to limp around at a ridiculously slow speed. While this is actually a benefit for solo escorts (Frank is much harder to hit by zombies when carrying a survivor), it can turn a group escort from manageable to TV-smashing frustrating as babysitting the injured survivor leaves you unable to defend the rest of the group.** Most female survivors are pretty much useless, being unable to use weapons, running slightly slower than normal survivors, and often prone to panic, making them even more of a chore to escort than normal. For what it's worth, though, heavy-set or middle-aged women can use weapons and are generally capable combatants.** Aaron, who you meet relatively early on, gets a special mention as he seems to have a unique "spastic coward" A.I. setting. He has a bizarre running animation that can only be described as mentally challenged, and even though he can be equipped with weapons, he rarely uses them and instead cowers, cries, or runs in circles when zombies approach him. He also tends to get separated from the group or stuck in one spot more often than normal. On top of all that, his AI actually prioritizes "run over to Burt, the not-entirely-incompetent NPC" above "follow Frank, the highly-competent PlayerCharacter".** Some [=NPCs=] become more self-sufficient and aggressive depending on which weapon you give them.* LoopholeAbuse: Wanna get that god-forsaken 7 Day Survivor achievement, but don't feel like playing for 14 hours straight? No problem! As long as you are playing on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, you can set your console to the Instant Power-On mode and turn off the console while the game is running. When you next boot up the console, the game will still be suspended and will pick up right where you left off when you choose to resume; a much more viable tactic than staring at your tv for 14 hours, although the only downside is that you can't play any other games until you get the achievement or give up.** You don't ''have'' to kill all of the Convicts while you're fighting them. If you want to farm them for some PP points, you can kill any two of your choosing and simply leave and re-enter the park while one is left alive. They'll all be there when you come back. Granted, it's only a few thousand PP, but it's a great way to gain some levels when you're starting out.* MadArtist: [[spoiler:By the time Kent wants you to photograph a human becoming a zombie, you know he's lost it -- and indeed, he's one of the Psychopaths]].%%* MadScientist: [[spoiler:Barnaby]].* MadeOfBologna: Used to save on rendering effort, when zombies that are dismembered don't even have a skeleton to speak of. Their insides are clearly visible after such a cut, but all of it is a vague, pink mass with a visual effect like Spam or corned beef.* MadeOfIron: Pretty much all the Psychopaths can take dozens upon dozens of bullets to bring down and are unrelenting in their desire to turn Frank into meaty chunks.* TheMall: The main setting, as part of the game's {{homage}} to ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978''.* {{Meganekko}}: Jessica.* MagikarpPower: Jewelry, plates, [=CDs=], and cases of soda are fairly useless when you first start out. It's when you gain some levels and up Frank's attack stat that you all of a sudden have a plentiful supply of deadly ranged weapons. This rises to BoomHeadshot levels once you've maxed out your attack stat.* MaleGaze: ** Lampshaded the first time with Isabela. She is revealed using the standard [=POV=] shot panning up from the knees... only for a fat guy to jump in the way. "This is NO TIME to ogle pretty girls, son!"** Jessica gets a few of these herself - and the easiest way to beat Kent's photo challenge is to take a shot of her in just the right angle for a cleavage plus panty shot.* MalevolentMaskedMen: The Raincoat Cult.%%* ManOnFire%%* MeaningfulEcho: [[spoiler:Pachamama]]* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Almost exclusively, the Psychopaths are male.* MillionMookMarch: In the ending credits.* MobstacleCourse: Zombies. Are. Everywhere.* MonsterClown: Adam.* MultipleEndings: They're also ranked accordingly.** A: Complete all cases, [[spoiler:talk to Isabela at 10 PM on the last day]], and be at the helipad when time runs out. Ed shows up to rescue Frank, [[spoiler:but there's a zombie in the copter, which causes him to crash, stranding Frank in the mall and unlocking Overtime mode.]]*** True ending: Complete Overtime mode. Frank escapes from the mall [[spoiler:with Isabela]], and breaks the story to the public. They care, but only a little.*** The 2011/2012 IDW tie-in comic, ''Dead Rising: Road to Fortune'', extends the true ending slightly and expounds on how Frank escaped Williamette.** B: Fail to complete all cases, but be at the helipad when time runs out. Frank escapes the mall with any survivors he rescued, but his story is missing the most important parts. Eventually, other cities fall victim to similar zombie outbreaks.** C: Solve all cases, but don't meet the other requirements for ending A. Ed lands the copter, but gets eaten by a zombie. Willamette is lost to the zombies, and nobody ever finds out what happened.** D: [[spoiler:Be in Special Forces custody]] when time runs out. Frank is airlifted out of the mall as [[spoiler: a prisoner of the Special Forces]], presumably to be executed or put in a government prison to prevent the truth of the outbreak being told. [[spoiler: Isabela is also left behind in the mall in this ending, meaning that she can't report on the incident either since she has no means of escape.]]** E: Don't be at the helipad when time runs out. Brad and Jessie evacuate the survivors Frank rescued, but they have to leave without Frank. [[BolivianArmyEnding He may or may not have survived.]]** F: Fail case 7-2. [[spoiler:Carlito's bombs go off, destroying the mall and spreading the zombie parasites through pretty much the whole country.]]* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: [[spoiler:Carlito ''really'' overprepared for overrunning America with the zombie plague]].* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Steven Chapman seems to have a moment of this just before he dies, when he realizes that his '''STOOOOORE''' doesn't have much purpose when he's killed all of his customers.* MyNameIsQuestionMarks: Any pictures taken of zombies during the opening helicopter ride will have them credited as '???'. It is only after Frank enters the mall and discovers their true attributes that they become named as zombies.* NeverSplitTheParty: If Frank puts too much distance between himself and any of the survivors he's escorting when he moves into a different area of the mall, their life bar will slowly drain until they die.* NewGamePlus: The game is practically dependent on it. If you game over at any point in the game, you are given the option of starting over at the level you currently are. You might as well just use this tactic to level up past 20 before you tackle the storyline.* NintendoHard: While the game is a perfect example of SchizophrenicDifficulty, it's always ''consistently'' hard. It just depends on how hard the game is feeling at the moment. ** Clearing Zombie hoards and doing the Scoops? Not too bad. Doing Psychopaths, the main quest, or escorting survivors? Good luck. There's a reason why the PP system is in place, and it's to make the game go from unimaginably hard to fairly easy.* NightmareFetishist: ** Kent comes across this way.** Frank does as well whenever you take a photo that could be categorized as 'erotica'. That leering 'yeeeah' is unsettling.* NotSoDifferent: What Carlitos believes of the Zombies and Americans.--> '''Carlito''': Hey... Aren't zombies great? I mean, all they do is eat, and eat, and eat. Growing in number... Just like you good red white and blue Americans. * NotUsingTheZWord: Completely averted. Pretty much every living person uses the Z-word without fail.** The very first survivors Frank meets straight-up call the undead "zombies", much to Frank's confusion (though he's not aware of the situation yet).--> '''Ryan''': Hey! You lookin' to get yourself eaten alive by zombies!?--> '''Frank''': What? Did you just say "zombies"?--> '''Ryan''': Take a look out there! [points toward the mob of undead outside] If those ain't zombies, what would ''you'' call 'em?** Possibly forgivable because of his delirious state, but...--> '''Frank''': Dr. Barnaby, answer me! Were you involved in experiments with zombies?!--> '''Barnaby''': (as if everyone hasn't been talking about/surrounded by zombies for 2 days) ...ZOMBIES?! Yes...* ObliviouslyEvil: Cliff is a ShellShockedVeteran caught in a Vietnam flashback when you fight him, and doesn't realize what he's actually doing.* OlderThanTheyLook: Just about everyone short of being middle-aged, [[AllThereInTheManual check the profiles]]. The Hall brothers are 23 and 20 but look as though they were actually designed to be about 14 and 17, but were bumped up to a different age because in video games, it's against regulations to show children die violent deaths onscreen or something along those lines.* OneManArmy: Actually averted. Despite all you can do, there are very few situations where you can just take on the zombies in your way (the cars being one of them).* OneSizeFitsAll: Averted. While Frank can try on clothes from any shop (including children's shops), the clothes sometimes don't fit him properly, which only adds to the surrealism.* OneSteveLimit: Conveniently, no survivors share names for easy identification.** Or indeed any of the named characters in the game, of which there are around 90.* OnlyAFleshWound: Brad and Isabela are both seriously wounded by gunfire, and recover almost completely over the course of about 5 or 6 hours. Carlito gains about 10 pounds over the weekend which is JUST bullets, but skips around the mall for nearly 3 days [[spoiler:before succumbing to possibly-unrelated wounds after being abducted by Larry]]. And then there's the time when [[spoiler:Carlito was strung up on a meathook through his ankles.]]* OnlySaneMan: They do exist among the Psychopaths. [[spoiler:Isabela]] could count, and Thomas Hall isn't exactly comfortable with it when his [[ColdSniper dad]] orders him to shoot the clearly non-zombie Frank in the face unprovoked. [[spoiler:Paul is also willing to be saved and can become a survivor if you choose to do so]]. * OurZombiesAreDifferent: Zombies in this franchise are more or less pretty close to standard zombies, with two exceptions: Their eyes glow red at night, and the cause of zombieism isn't a virus; it's wasp larvae. This isn't too far from TruthInTelevision as far as some of the hideous things certain wasps do to their victims.%%* PermanentlyMissableContent* PowerUpFood: Food and drink replenish your health.... but if you take certain foods and put them in the completely working blenders/microwave, their health benefits double and garner status effects!* PsychoLesbian: Jo Slade comes across this way, with an added dose of terror.* PyroManiac: Paul, one of the Psychopaths (suitably).* QuicksandBox: Many people complained about the structure of the game making it hard to tell what to do next. The game also has a tendency to punish you for sandboxing. If you attempt to ignore the plot on your first playthrough, you're left with a very weak Frank and most of the shortcuts shut off from you.* RaincoatOfHorror: In this zombie game, there's actually an enemy cult full of people who wear green masks and yellow raincoats, called "The True Eye". Why they wear masks and raincoats is never explained.* RealTimeWeaponChange: Choosing which weapon or power up to use on your available slots.* RedShirt: All the survivors in the Entrance Plaza when you first enter the mall. [[spoiler: Except for Isabela.]]* RedemptionDemotion: [[spoiler:Paul is significantly less capable as a survivor than he was as a psychopath, given that he loses all of his special attacks and enhanced speed and A.I., trading it for the regular dumb-as-rocks survivor A.I.]]* RemovableTurretGun: On the convicts' car.* RespawningEnemies: The zombies, cultists, and spec ops forces. Also, the gang of convicts in the jeep respawn once per day. Contrary to [[UrbanLegendOfZelda popular belief]], destroying their car does nothing to stop this. Most annoyingly, zombies will respawn ''on the same map'', as soon as you get more than about 100-200 feet away from their starting location (you can even see them appear out of nowhere in larger areas). This can often result in a horde of zombies spawning ''right on top'' of your escorted survivors should you run too far ahead of them.* RetroUniverse: Though the game blatantly states from the beginning that it's events begin the night of [[TurnOfTheMillennium "September 18, 2006"]], and demonstrates this by introducing us to Brad Garrison and Jessica Mcarney, agents of the DHS, after which you're handed a small yellow walkie talkie by Otis to carry, along with your compact filmreel camera, it clearly deviates from some modern tones by the severe lack of cellphones, next-to-no mention of the internet, and the somewhat backwards sense of general fashion/aesthetic in both the mall, and it's inhabitants. This can be justified like in a work which makes a similar choice, ''NapoleonDynamite'', in that this game takes place in [[FlyoverCountry the midwest]], where a [[EverytownAmerica smalltown]] like [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed Willamette, Colorado]] is sure to be "behind the pulse of society", in some ways. [[FridgeBrilliance Upon retrospect, it is a seemingly perfect place for a terrorist attack to happen.]]* SarcasmMode: Frank laughs bitterly upon Isabella's revealing of [[spoiler:Carlito's plan to bomb the entire mall]] -- "Oh, great!"* SayMyName: The Halls do this for each other as you take them down.* SceneryPorn: A very overlooked aspect of the game is the detail in the mall. Gamers just think the zombie count pushes the system, but the environments are some of the most varied of any video game. And unlike the areas in typical sandbox games, it's all in one area, although not without some streaming.* ShellShockedVeteran: One of the bosses is a Vietnam veteran who reverts when he sees his granddaughter eaten. He thinks you're Viet Cong. A fight ensues.* ShirtlessScene: For whatever reason, enemies that capture Frank love to strip him to his skivvies.* SiblingsInCrime: [[spoiler:Isabela was helping Carlito carry out his revenge by ZombieApocalypse plan originally, if against her better judgement. Of course, up until her HeelFaceTurn.]]* SkywardScream: After completing [[spoiler:Overtime Mode, Frank lets rip a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKwvdIDq3Ck#t=3m11s glorious one of these]] whilst on top of a tank, complete with the camera pulling out and [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning.]]]]* SmartBomb: Queen wasps. Frank discovers that killing one causes all zombies nearby to just up and die, often with [[YourHeadASplode their heads popping like ugly zits]]. From that point on, capturing and throwing jars with queens can be used to clear out large swaths of zombies.* SoundtrackDissonance: During the mall's opening hours, you can hack away at the zombie hordes with cheery [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdqbyzj_Br0 muzak]] being piped in over the speakers, as well as pre-recorded advertisements to many of the mall's special offers.* SprintShoes: The skateboards, and the "quickstep" blend of drinks.* StatusBuff: Mixing food items in blenders yield smoothies that provide one, including:** "Energizer": Makes Frank invincible to damage.** "Nectar": Spawns a [[SmartBomb queen wasp]] and makes more easier to find.** "Quickstep": [[SprintShoes Makes Frank run faster]].** "Spitfire": [[SuperSpit Makes Frank's spitting attacks as dangerous as a handgun.]]** "Untouchable": Zombies can't grab Frank (but can still hurt him by taking swipes at him).** "Zombait": Makes Zombies go after Frank and ignore all else. Great for escorting survivors.** "Randomizer": [[VomitIndiscretionShot Makes Frank sick and induces vomiting.]]* TheStinger: Steven provides a particularly hilarious one.* SuicideAttack: The Cultists will from time to time attempt to grab or pounce on Frank while holding a lit stick of dynamite.* SuperSpit: Frank can create Spitfire, a mixed juice that gives his otherwise harmless spit technique the power of a handgun.* TakeYourTime: Mostly averted. The game is brutal with time limits, but it's possible for Carlito and Brad to engage in a two-day-long gun fight while you wander about.* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Carlito's plan B in case of being rendered incapable of carrying out his scheme as planned? Blowing up the entire mall, the blast sending zombie parasites all over America.]]* TelevisionGeography: Averted, the terrain and city you fly over looks a hell of a lot like western Colorado. The only thing blowing the illusion is that the game is set in late September but the sporting goods stores do not stock any skis.* TermConfusion: [[spoiler:The Special Forces soldiers']] main weapon is called a "Machinegun", which is wrong for two reasons. One, [[http://deadrising.wikia.com/wiki/Machine_Gun the weapon]] is clearly an AR-15 type assault rifle. Two, they spell it "Machinegun" instead of "Machine Gun".* ThrowABarrelAtIt: One of the many ways Frank can kill zombies.* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: You still have to go pick it up, though.* ThrowawayGuns: You can't actually reload your guns after they run out of ammo; you can only drop them and find another. Not in the Wii version, however.* TimedMission: The game is one long timed mission, often on very tight schedules to make it between Scoops and Missions without failure.* TooDumbToLive: Early on, things seem to be under control - some of the survivors have successfully barricaded the mall entrance, and no zombies are getting in. However, when the hysterical old woman sees her [[MisterMuffykins pet poodle]] (who appears to be a zombie) outside surrounded by other zombies, she takes down part of the barricade and opens the door to get the dog - not only becoming overwhelmed by zombies, but letting them at everyone else, too. [[spoiler:Granted, with the psychopaths -- and Carlito -- on the prowl, they probably would have gotten in eventually, but that doesn't excuse letting the zombies in before the survivors could cluster in a safe locale.]]* TookALevelInBadass: Frank West eventually learns how to disembowel people with his bare hands. [[{{FridgeLogic}} Multiple]] [[{{FridgeHorror}} times]].* TragicVillain: Cliff is one of the few sympathetic Psychopaths, who is a Vietnam War veteran having a PTSD-fueled flashback. This was brought on by the [[spoiler: death of his family,]] and even Frank (who has been somewhat of a {{Jerkass}} to everyone) shows sympathy towards the guy upon being forced to kill him. ** Adam is a clown that lived to make everybody happy, but has been driven completely insane by the outbreak, and is desperately trying to save survivors by sticking them on the ride he guards. He only attacks Frank because Frank is trying to save the guy he's keeping held hostage.* TriggerHappy: On the 3rd day, you will find 3 rednecks (one who looks a lot like [[VideoGame/Left4Dead Francis]] if not for the fact that this game came first) holed up in the gun store. They shoot first and ask questions later. Once you walk in, they open fire from three directions. If you manage to make your way back out of the store, one of them walks up and asks if you're still alive. Trying to go back into the store makes them open fire again, so you have to somehow persuade them to follow you back to the security room from the door.* TrustMeImAnX: After Larry Chiang sticks [[spoiler:Carlito]] on a meathook, he assures to Frank, "Trust me, I'm a butcher."* TwistedAnkle: Jessie gets one early on, which is why the reporter is the one running around slaughtering zombies and not the government agent.%%* UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000* UnlockableContent: Completing various feats unlocks costumes and weapons in the safe room.* UnwinnableByDesign: For a definition of "win" that requires [[MultipleEndings an ending higher than D]], the game becomes this if you miss a deadline.* UpdatedRerelease: Got one for current-gen consoles, including the Playstation 4 this time. Notable in that aside from a framerate increase and fixing the text error in the Unbreakable achievement, nothing changed. Including the survivor AI that is ''very'' much better in future games.* TheVoiceless: Otis, a surviving mall security guard, never speaks during cutscenes; in fact, the only time you do hear what his voice may sound like is when you kill him in Infinity Mode and hear his one-of-a-kind death scream.* WakeUpCallBoss: Adam is one of the first psychopaths the player can encounter, and he's a steep step up in difficulty from the regular zombies you've been facing. He does a lot of damage, can take quite a few hits, and can block your weapons, instantly breaking them. It makes sense that your reward for beating him is twofold- his [[DiscOneNuke Small Chainsaw]], and a [[AntiFrustrationFeatures backdoor from Wonderland Plaza to Paradise Plaza]], eliminating the need to cross the park and deal with the Convicts.* WeaponOfChoice: Each psychopath carries weapons that reflect their personalities. If you kill them, you can often get these weapons (which respawn very quickly) to use for yourself. This is good, as a lot of the weapons they use are absolutely deadly.** Adam drops his Small Chainsaw, which is a positively ''deadly'' all-purpose weapon that deals a shit ton of damage and can clear hordes easily. It also has a decent bit of durability, and if you get three bladed weapon books turns into an InfinityPlusOneSword. If you follow the survivor you get for beating him, you also unlock a backdoor across the mall.** Cletus allows access into the gun store (including his devastating shotguns and sniper rifles), which is vital for defeating Psychopaths like the Hall family and dealing with [[spoiler: Isabela]] and/or Steve, who coincidentally reside only a few meters from his store.** Larry, despite [[spoiler: not being optional]] drops his Meat Cleaver. This weapon is about as strong as the Katana and Small Chainsaw, but it's low durability means it's not really useful.** Paul doesn't drop anything. [[spoiler: Unless of course you succeed his GuideDangIt mini-quest, then you'll get both his Cocktails and his help as a survivor.]]** Cliff allows access into the tool store, which is filled with an assortment of lethal melee weapons- including his Machete, which is almost as good as the Small Chainsaw (and perhaps even better due to it's high rate of attack).** Jo drops her taser, which can fry zombies with a small charge. However it also allows for human enemies to take a decent bit of damage as well.** The Hall Family drop their sniper rifles, which are a good reward if you don't want to deal with Cletus- justifiable, as Cletus is ''definitely'' ThatOneBoss incarnate.** Sean drops his Ceremonial Sword, which while no better than any other bladed weapon comes with a secondary attack. If you jump kick while it's equipped, Frank instead swings the sword down. This can bisect zombies, and does a huge amount of damage to other psychopaths.** Steve allows access back into the Grocery Store, and drops his weaponized shopping cart to use.** The Convicts drop their heavy machine gun. This can trivialize the rest of the game if used judiciously, and makes short work of other psychopaths. Unfortunately, the Convicts respawn ''every day'', meaning your reward is somewhat short-lived. Killing them also makes the park easier to traverse for 24 hours.** [[spoiler: Kent]], who is so hard to find out he even exists that it's unlikely you'll fight him until a second playthrough, drops [[spoiler: a photography book that doubles the amount of PP Frank gets from photographs.]]* WhosLaughingNow: An aspect of Paul's psychopath status, as implied by himself.* WeaponsKitchenSink: It's like Creator/JackieChan made a zombie film...* WeldTheLock: When you and a few survivors first barricade yourselves in the Security Room, Otis welds the entrance door shut.* WideOpenSandbox: While the game tries to nudge you to meet plot requirements or rescue hapless people stranded about the mall, you can choose to ignore everything even vaguely resembling a story and just find inventive ways to cave in zombie skulls or take on psychopaths. There's a catch, however; not following the plot prevents you from getting the best endings.* WrestlerInAllOfUs: You'd be surprised how effective a German Suplex is when cornered by a bunch of zombies.* YouALLLookFamiliar: Those two people in the intro, where Frank and Ed are flying over Willamette? Take a close look at them. The one on the white car is Rich (one of the three people that was held hostage by Cliff), and the one on the building is Michelle (one of the five people held prisoner by the cult). Also, the woman getting pulled out a car, which you can optionally see on the security cameras, is Kay (one of the four people tied up by Jo, and also the one featured in Jo's cutscene). [[spoiler:And speaking of Cliff, the little girl in the very first intro is the same girl that's on Cliff's family photo.]]* YouAreTooLate: [[spoiler:Carlito's plan largely succeeds.]]* ZombieApocalypse: Downplayed though in the sense that the zombies haven't actually caused a true apocalypse. They're only found in the United States and they're seen as more like wild animals that are usually just a moderately dangerous nuisance, mostly being found in the countryside shambling in small groups. The problems come from zombie infections occasionally breaking out in densely populated areas. In any case, everybody is casual enough about them to where there are game shows about how many contestants can kill. * ZombieGait: ** For most of the zombies, though there are exceptions, such as the occasional zombie sprinter.** This was one of the unlockable abilities. It allowed Frank to shuffle his way through the hordes undetected, a la [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead Shaun Of The Dead]]. It's severely disadvantageous, however, as Frank's zombie shuffle is (necessarily) extremely slow, so it's usually much faster, if not necessarily ''easier'', to just slaughter your way through them.* ZombieInfectee: Repeatedly. One survivor will kill himself if you give him a gun. One will take his own life if he has a gun with him and loses all his life from the zombies, and another will refuse to follow unless you can prove that you can cure TheVirus. [[spoiler:Frank himself becomes one at the end, and using kids as Zombie Bombs was Carlito's whole plan.]]* ZombiePukeAttack: Queen Zombies and Gas Zombies vomit infected blood.

!!''Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun'' Provides Examples Of:

* BigBrotherInstinct: Shin.* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The standard ending. Shin is dead and both Mary and George are infected, but they've found a massive supply of Zombrex.]]* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:Takahashi told his girlfriend she was here "to give him head". After George did some serious damage to him and he flees away, he ran into his zombified girlfriend, who [[KarmicDeath gave him a "zombie blowjob"]].]]* TheDeterminator: Mary. Who has been bitten several times by the zombies and been tortured by Takahashi and Dan.* DownerBeginning* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The Extended Ending. Mary dies from her wounds. Then, George, who is finally able to find the strength to use his legs to a degree (and fight!), gets shot in the head by Dan as he's escaping the warehouse.]]* EverybodyLaughsEnding: [[spoiler:After fighting their way through zombies and George's wheelchair getting destroyed in the process, George and Mary finally found the zombrex, and instead of injecting themselves with the zombrex immediately, they start laughing happily, knowing that they will survive. The End. Seriously, that's how the movie ends.]]* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:When George imagines how he will die at the hands of the psychopaths, he pictures a gunshot wound in his forehead. In the Extended Ending, Dan, on the rooftop, puts one through his head and he ends up with an exit wound in his forehead.]]* GeniusCripple: George when he created his modified wheelchair.* HandicappedBadass: After George becomes brave and creates his zombie-fighting modified wheelchair, he beats Takahashi by drilling his right ear off, burning his face with a blowtorch, and cutting his ankles with blades that appear under his wheelchair.* HeroicBSOD: When George realizes he should not rely on others to help him.* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Shin, George's brother, got himself killed by the psychopath thugs in order for George to get away from them.]]%%* HospitalHottie: Mary%%* HowWeGotHere* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Takahashi suffers this after getting beaten into humiliation, coupled up with a painful expression with a burnt face.]]* POVCam: Some of the movie is taken place through George's eyes.* RecursiveCanon: In Episode 1 George is playing Dead Rising 2.* ShoutOut: Considering this movie is directed by Keiji Inafune, who worked on a lot of Capcom games, you will expect to see some of them in the movie.** In episode 1, George is playing Dead Rising 2 in the beginning and the overweight thug is wearing a shirt that has a [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Servbot]] on it.** The "Goblin Mask" is a mask of Blanka from Street Fighter.* SuperWheelChair: George's wheelchair is modified with a blow torch, a drill, blades (on the side and bottom of the chair), a shell that prevent him from getting shot, and he uses a chainsaw to move himself forward in his chair.* TookALevelInBadass: George* ZombieInfectee: Mary. She's been bitten many times and still hasn't turned into a zombie. And George in the finale.----